The UIRA Board of Directors meets the second Tuesday of each month from September through June at 1:00 p.m. in Room 427 at the Levitt Center. Members are welcome to attend to observe or address the Board.

The UI Senior College has announced another rich schedule of offerings for the Fall 2016 Session. More information about courses, instructors, time and place of classes, availability and registration can be obtained from the Alumni Association athttp://www.iowalum.com/srcollege/, or by calling 800-IOWALUM (469-2586), or email alumni-seniorcollege@uiowa.edu. A brochure is available upon request.

A national expert will help the UIRA kick-off the 2016-2017 year at 1 p.m. on Thursday, September 15, 2016, at the Coralville Library E. Jean Schwab Auditorium.
“Optimistic Aging: Staying on Course for Your Retirement Adventure” will be presented by Margit Cox Henderson. The non-financial aspects of retirement and what can be done to age well mentally, physically, socially and emotionally will be presented. The program promises to help attendees learn how to be at their best in retirement. Please RSVP to Michael Barron, Michael-barron@uiowa.edu if you plan to attend.

Margit’s professional training includes a Ph.D. and M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Loyola University in Chicago. Her B.S. in Psychology is from Northwestern. Early in her career she conducted extensive research, published numerous research papers and taught undergraduate psychology courses. As a therapist, Margit has worked in community mental health agencies and student counseling centers before starting her private practice in 2000. She published her first book, Optimistic Aging, in 2014. She has been a speaker throughout her career: on faculty at Loyola, as a trainer of clinicians, group facilitator for clients and conference speaker.

in case you missed it: post-event review by George Sauerberg
Picture yourself as the skipper of a boat on a vast expanse of ocean. That was psychologist Margit Cox Henderson’s advice during her September 15 UIRA presentation “Optimistic Aging: Staying on Course for Your Retirement Adventure.” Henderson, of Denver, Colorado, has a B.A. in psychology from Northwestern University and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Loyola University of Chicago. The author of the book Optimistic Aging spoke at the session attended by 52 UIRA members at the Coralville Public Library. According to Henderson, you need “four non-financial resources” for a happy retirement. Your compass, or “sense of purpose,” provides direction. Your crew, or “social support network,” should be diverse in ages and interests. “Your engine is your health,” she said, adding, “Fitness matters more than weight.” Your operations protocol is how you structure your time, and social contact, activities, and movement are important, she said. “Exercise your brain,” Henderson advised. “Try new activities.” And be ready for “a lot of adjusting course,” she said. “Make sure retirement is enjoyable.”

in case you missed it: submitted by Beverly Robalino
As a part of Iowa City’s Book Festival, Angelo Volandes MD, MPH, read from his book The Conversation: A Revolutionary Plan for End-of-Life Care at a presentation held on 4 October. Volandes urged people to form a partnership with their medical team and to have a say in what they wanted and not just to cede all their care decisions to doctors. While most people want to die in their homes, two thirds actually die in hospitals. Volandes said that people need to begin the conversation sooner than later with their family about what they desire so they can receive the right care on their terms. Volandes noted three options for end of life care, including life prolonging care, limited care, and comfort care. Life prolonging care is for someone who is more interested in lengthening life. This care may include CPR, breathing machines and ICU treatment. Limited care refers to maintaining medical treatment for treatable conditions to restore health. Those desiring comfort care are primarily interested in the quality of life at the end of life. Comfort care can include hospice care, care in the home or nursing home care. Studies have shown that when seriously ill patients understand their condition, treatments and outcomes, most prefer the comfort care option. More about the conversation everyone needs to have with their loved ones and questions you need to consider regarding the right care at the right time is presented through a short video at the website http://www.theconversationbook.org End of life care is a process to consider over time. Another resource is http://www.honoringyourwishes.org

Circle Thursday, October 13 on your calendar for the flu shot clinic conducted by Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) from 12 noon to 3 p.m. It will again be held in the Coralville Hills Bank on the lower level, 1009 Second Street, where there is ample parking. Please note that the clinic includes flu shots, flu mist, pneumonia shot and high-dose flu shot. (Pneumonia vaccine is available upon prior request: please call the VNA office at 319-337-9686 X1155 to reserve your pneumonia vaccine and have it brought to the clinic.) It is important that you bring your insurance cards with you. VNA will direct bill Medicare, Medicare Supplement, Wellmark and other insurance companies for you. If cash payment is received at the time of the clinic, costs are: Flu shot $33 | High Dose Flu Shot $49 | Pneumonia PPSV23 $110 | PCV13 $185. Our clinic will also have a free mini-fitness screening this year, test ing agility, balance, and leg strength. The screening only takes about 5 minutes, and is free; past screening results will be available for comparison purposes. Wear low-heel shoes and comfortable clothes.

The flu vaccine is recommended annually. Even though the flu vaccine doesn’t prevent flu every time, it often helps to ensure a milder case. The vaccination for pneumonia is recommended for people 65 and older. Shingles is caused by the body’s reactivation of the same virus that causes chickenpox. The virus causes rashes over the face and body and stinging pain that can last for weeks or months. The shingles vaccine requires a prescription from your physician and is for those who have not previously had shingles. Because the vaccine has a limited shelf life and is not always available in the doctor’s office, many patients fill the prescription at the pharmacy. The vaccine is recommended once regardless of whether a person has or has not had the chickenpox. A tetanus shot is recommended once every 10 years to prevent a rare but often deadly bacterial condition known as lockjaw. Physicians and public health officials recommend these vaccinations!

An informal discussion on a variety of sports topics at the Senior Center begins the week of the Hawkeyes’ first football game and continues into the college basketball postseason. Marc Morehouse of The Gazette will be the first speaker at 9 a.m. on Monday, August 29. The one-hour sessions are held at 9 a.m. on Mondays except when the center is closed for holidays. In the fall sports season, sessions will be in the Assembly Room except the second September 12 session which will be on the Mezzanine. The sessions are intergenerational, free and open to the public. For more information, call Jim Ridenour at 319-351-5731.

Interested in learning Pickleball (a mini version of tennis played on a badminton-size court)? It may have a funny name, but it is a serious sport! It is fast-paced and easy to learn, great exercise and lots of fun! It is easier than tennis and the rallies usually last longer. There are over 150 players in Johnson County, and most are in their 50s, 60s, and 70s. Paddles and balls will be supplied. Wear appropriate clothing and shoes to run around on a gym floor. Information about pickleball including videos of play are available on the USA Pickleball Association website: www.usapa.org. There is no fee but registration is required. Limited to 9 students per session. Call the Senior Center to register (319) 356-5220 for Session 1 on Tuesday, 9-11 a.m. in the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center gym 9/20, 9/27, 10/4, or Session 2 on Tuesday, 9-11 a.m. in the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center gym 11/1, 11/8, 11/15.

Everyone is welcome to attend these lectures scheduled for 4 pm, tentatively scheduled for room 101 Biology Building East.
8 September David Soll (Department of Biology) "How do Tumors Form and How Do You Stop Them"
20 September Michael Lewis-Beck (Department of Political Science) "The Political Economy Model: 2016 U.S. Election Forecast"
See future Grey Hawks for information on further lectures by Arthur Bonfield (October 27 and Miriam Gilbert (November 10).

UIRA members are invited to a special presentation by School of Music Director David Gier and tour of the new Voxman Music Building at the corner of Burlington and Clinton Streets in downtown Iowa City on Saturday, 8 October: one tour at 2:30 and another at 3:30 p.m. (registration required; each tour limited to 80). Parking is available in the Capitol Street Ramp attached to the Old Capitol Town Center directly across the from Voxman.

in case you missed it: post-event review by Ken Starck
​It was déjà vu with a $189 million twist. Two years ago, on October 6, a UIRA program featured the director of the UI School of Music, David Gier, discussing plans for the new Voxman Music Building, a replacement for facilities lost to the 2008 flood. This month, on October 8, UIRA members got a grand introduction to the new facility. Gier, along with Associate Director Dan Moore, led 101 UIRA members in tours of the Voxman Building, named in honor Himie Voxman (1912-2011), the School’s long-time director.

Photo Collage: (1) Music School Director David Gier; (2) Looking out from the stage of the 700-seat Concert Hall; (3) Beginning the Voxman tour in the Chorale Rehearsal Room; (4) On the Concert Hall stage with the new Klais organ in the background. For more about the School, see its website: https://music.uiowa.edu/

The new Visual Arts Building, located adjacent to Art Building West, is having an open house on Friday, October 7 from 3 to 5 p.m. with a program at 3:30. There is limited metered parking available behind the building but quite a bit of metered parking available near the Theatre Building more or less across the street.
The University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital will open in December, but everyone is invited to attend a Community Open House on Saturday and Sunday, 5 & 6 November, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. There will be guided tours and light refreshments. More information at http://ournewhospital.com.

Emeritus Faculty Lecture for October

The next lecture in the series sponsored by the Emeritus Faculty Council will feature Arthur Bonfield of the College of Law, speaking on The Why, How, and What of 60 Years of Rare Book Collecting, on Thursday, 20 October, from 4-5 pm in 101 Biology Building East.

U.I. director of benefits Rebecca Olson will meet with UIRA members at 2 p.m. on November 10, at Parkview Church (15 Foster Road, off Dubuque St.) to discuss the status of current benefits for retirees and answer relevant questions. A Health Alliance representative will also participate. While there are no anticipated benefit changes for the 2016-2017 academic year, this is always a significant UIRA meeting, one of the best-attended of the year. Ample parking and seating are available at the Parkview location, but Dubuque St construction delays should be taken into account. Refreshments will be served. [Watch the 80 min. video online.]

Upcoming Talks in the Emeritus Faculty Lecture Series

Shakespeare and "the likeness of a jew": Shylock, Fagin, Disraeli
Professor Emeritus Miriam Gilbert, Department of English
Thursday 10 November 2016 4-5 pm 101 Biology Building East
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“Nietzsche and Nazism”
Professor Emeritus Laird Addis, Department of Philosophy
Thursday 8 December 2016 4-5 pm 101 Biology Building East
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Coffee, tea and cookies are served before the lecture, courtesy of the Provost’s Office

U.I. President Bruce Harreld will meet with retirees to give a first-year retrospective on 14 December 2016 at 2 pm in the E. Jean Schwab Auditorium at the Coralville Public Library. Non-perishable items for the Crisis Center Food Bank will be collected at this event in keeping with an autumn UIRA tradition. Please bring an item!

Follow-up report by Ken Starck: A river runs through it, but that doesn't mean the west side and east side of the UI campus should be separate, President Bruce Harreld told more than 60 Retirees at a UIRA meeting December 13 at the Coralville Public Library. In making his second presentation to the UIRA since he assumed the UI presidency in November 2015, Harreld said he was trying to make the campus more collaborative. He said he would like to eliminate the phrase “the other side of the river.” A major effort in that direction will occur with a recently announced $45 million grant from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust to establish the Iowa Neuroscience Institute. It will be located on the site of the deteriorating Seashore Hall, which will be demolished. Plans for the institute call for interdisciplinary work, allowing UI’s colleges to work together.
Among campus achievements this past year was Strategic Plan development. The plan, approved by the Board of Regents December 5, emerged from 700 group discussions and 30 meetings, said Harreld, adding, “It was shared governance on steroids.” Other issues discussed by Harreld included:
* Campus environment—UI students today display a certain anxiety—as is the case across the country. The situation, he said, represents “teaching moments.”
* Financial—Expect less state support and higher tuition.
* Writing—An emphasis on writing will continue with perhaps more attention being devoted to screenwriting, an area in which UI graduates have excelled.
* The new art museum—Plans are progressing for the new museum that is to be paid for with private funds. It is to be located next to Gibson (Square) on Burlington Street and connected to the Main Library.

The holidays, more than any other time of year, can be a time to be thankful. There is a case, however, for incorporating gratitude into our lives as a yearlong practice. Research has shown that feeling grateful is good for us and can help us sleep better, be more optimistic and connect to others. Gratitude makes us less likely to think about the negative and experience less depression. We take so many things for granted and may overestimate the importance of our life’s accomplishments. Gratitude can acknowledge what we owe others. Getting into the habit of gratitude takes very little practice. Each day identify three new things you are grateful for. You may be grateful for your morning cup of coffee, your comfortable slippers or your walk with the dog. It’s more effective to write down those things each day so you don’t repeat things on your list. When talking to others, emphasize blessings and your gifts instead of your burdens or deprivations. Even a bad experience can be viewed as a blessing when it opens the door to another opportunity. Giving back by volunteering is a great way of feeling grateful. Giving back helps you appreciate your own blessings. So when you consider your blessings this holiday season be sure to extend that gratitude habit into 2017. To read more about gratitude, refer to the book Choosing Gratitude: Learning to Love the Life You Have, written by James A. Autry. The author resides in Des Moines and is a former Fortune 500 executive and an author and poet. The book can be ordered from your favorite bookstore or online.

The presentation Little Red Corvettes & Raspberry Berets: What Happens When You Die Without a Plan will discuss the intestacy and the probate process, drawing on examples from the recent handling of the estate of the artist formerly known as Prince. Sarah Jean Leonard is a UI graduate and Assistant Vice President and Trust Officer at US Bank. She was a probate attorney and estate planner in Minnesota and has worked with the Vulnerable Adult Justice Project. She is on the board of the Iowa Women’s Foundation, the Mercy Foundation and Altrusa International of Iowa City. She will speak to us on 13 January at 2 pm in the E. Jean Schwab Auditorium, Coralville Public Library. Refreshments will be served.

Follow-up report: Sarah Jean Leonard, a trust officer at US Bank in Iowa City, presented “Little Red Corvettes and Raspberry Berets: What Happens When You Die without a Plan,” for UIRA at the Coralville Library. Sarah is a graduate of UI who attended William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul and has worked as an estate planning and probate attorney in Minnesota. She also serves in a number of local community board leadership roles. Sarah emphasized to the more than 40 people attending on January 13 that she was sharing her opinions and not those of the bank. She urged everyone to consult their estate planning or tax professional for any specific estate or tax advice. Questions and discussion followed her presentation. Her main focus was intestacy using the example of the performer known as Prince who died last year without a will, despite having a very large estate. She discussed the probate process and what different estate planning documents Prince could have utilized, such as a will or a trust. She stressed that probate was not to be feared and there are measures that people (even those with significantly less assets than Prince) can take to minimize the impact to the people they leave behind. Sarah ended the presentation with an update on Prince’s complex estate and a lively question and answer session.

Nancy Carlisle is the Mercy Hospital Diabetes Education Coordinator and has been a dietician for over 35 years and a certified diabetes educator for 25 years. Nancy has an entertaining and conversational presentation style laced with important information to consider about these significant health conditions. Plant enthusiasts may also know Nancy as an expert collector and cultivator of day lilies. She will speak to us on 9 February at 2 pm in the E. Jean Schwab Auditorium, Coralville Public Library. Refreshments will be served.

features in case you missed it: post-event review by Ken Starck
​One in every four of us will die from heart disease. One in every nine of us have diabetes. One in every three of us have prediabetes. Those were some of the disturbing numbers Mercy Hospital nutritionist Nancy Carlisle presented to about 35 retirees at a UIRA meeting 9 February at the Coralville Public Library. A dietician for over 35 years, Carlisle is Mercy’s Diabetes Education Coordinator. Carlisle noted that according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the top five chronic health problems are heart disease/stroke, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and obesity.

She underscored a study by the National Institutes on Health in 2005 that revealed the most important factor in lowering the rise for type 2 diabetes was weight loss. Regular exercise—at least 150 minutes a week—and sticking to a healthy diet with attention to nutritional value are crucial to weight loss and/or maintenance, she said. “Control portion sizes and slow down when eating,” she advised. For advice on food choice, she suggested consulting Choosemyplate.

Information about Mercy’s diabetes program, including a pre-diabetes class to prevent complications, can be found here. Information about nutrition and many other health issues can be found at Mercy’s Health Information Library. Carlisle opened and closed her presentation with brilliant photos of flowers in her garden. After all, she also is president of the Cedar Valley Iris and Daylily Society.

Karen Baker, College of Dentistry, will present a talk on Alternative Medicine: Complementary or Conflicting? on 25 April, from 2-4 pm, followed by an optional tour of College of Dentistry, Stay tuned for more information.

The 2017 Annual Meeting of the UIRA will be held on 3 April 2017 (Monday) at 11:30 a.m., at the Radisson Hotel, Coralville. The 2017 Annual Picnic will take place on 7 June 2017 (Wednesday) at the Terry Trueblood Lodge.

A presentation by Zachary Benedict, focusing on the socioeconomic benefits of age-friendly neighborhoods. Benedict is an Indiana–based architect, considered a leading voice in the “Lifetime Community” movement. Thursday, 9 March 2017 at 6 pm; Iowa City Senior Center, 28 South Linn Street, Iowa City. Following his presentation, at 6:45 there will be a break for refreshments, followed by a panel discussion. Free and open to the public.

The Visiting Nurses Association of Johnson County will present a seven-week workshop on helping to prevent falls: important exercises and strategies. The workshop, "Stepping On: Building Confidence, Reducing Falls," will be held on Thursday mornings, 9:30 -11:30 a.m., March 30 to May 11 at the VNA Building at 1524 Sycamore Street in Iowa City. To register contact Iola Feldkamp at 319-337-9686 x1155 or feldkamp@vnaic.org. Topics will include simple and fun balance & strength training, the role vision plays in keeping balance, how medications contribute to falls, ways to keep from falling out in the community, what to look for in safe footwear and how to eliminate fall hazards at home.

As spring approaches, we anticipate warmer temperatures but also rains that swell rivers and streams, sometimes to excess. Professor Witold K. Krajewski, director of the U.I. College of Engineering’s Iowa Flood Center, will tell us about work done there to forecast potential flooding in our area, and much more. Monday, 20 March 2017, 2-3 p.m., E. Jean Schwab Auditorium, Coralville Public Library. Refreshments will be served.

in case you missed it: post-event review by Ken Starck
When the threat of a flood looms, people want to know. The Iowa Flood Center found that out in dramatic fashion in September 2016 when more than 80,000 people in Iowa sought information about flooding on Iowa rivers. The Center’s server crashed, and it had to contact Google to enable Iowans to continue checking flood conditions. The state legislature established the Center in 2009, a year after flooding ravaged parts of Eastern Iowa. Especially hard hit were Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. The state continues to fund the Center with $1.5 million annually. “That’s about 50 cents per person,” said Krajewski. He said the Center is “setting an example for the nation.” The purpose of the Center is to provide information helpful to Iowans, which includes real-time forecasting, mapping flood plain inundation and improve flood monitoring. An example of the Center’s work, said Krajewski, involves placing and maintaining sensors on Iowa bridges. The sensors measure stream height and transmit data automatically and frequently to the Iowa Flood Information System (IFIS), where one can see the sensors locations and data in real time. Iowa has about 25,000 bridges; today sensors are maintained at more than 200 of them. The Flood Center maintains a website with "floods" of information, from which one can navigate to IFIS. Besides a tutorial and interactive features, that site offers access to community-based flood conditions, forecasts, visualizations, inundation maps and much more.

We will explore the current status of alternative medicine on Tuesday 25 April from 2-3:30 PM in the Galagan Auditorium at the UI Dental School, with a presentation by Professor Karen Baker. Two hours of free parking in the Dental School patient parking lot will be available for those attending, and refreshments will be served. An optional tour of the Dental School follows the presentation.

The resurgence of alternative medicine has produced confusion and conflict among health professionals and consumers alike. Prof. Baker will discuss the peri-surgical impact of popular systemic supplements as well as the effectiveness of nutraceutical products promoted for common diseases such as hypertension, high lipids, diabetes, BPH, arthritis, depression and dementia. She will conclude by discussing reliable information sources and stepwise strategies for evaluating and choosing nutraceutical products. A practical and detailed handout will be provided to allow participants to apply this information to their individual situations and health problems.

Professor Baker’s presentation will assist attendees in buying and using reliable, science-based nutraceutical references, recognize the pre-surgical impact of common systemic nutraceutical products, how to select special nutraceutical products with reasonable claims and safe ingredients and evaluate and rate the effectiveness of those products in the prevention and /or treatment of common chronic diseases. Prof. Baker has been on the Dental College faculty for 35 years and occupies a unique role in dental practice and education: she is a clinical pharmacist with a Master’s degree in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics and is focused on patient-specific dental drug therapy. She has given over 1000 invited programs nationally and internationally and holds membership in many dental and clinical pharmacology and therapeutics organizations. Her dental education-based pharmacy and drug therapy consultation center is the only one in the United States. She has authored more than 50 articles and abstracts and lectures extensively in pre-doctoral and graduate courses at the U.I.

Follup-up review by Ken Starck: In an information-packed presentation, Prof. Karen Ann Baker of the College of Dentistry said that although patients have embraced alternative medicine, questions not asked often enough are: “which (supplements) should I worry about?” “How can I stay informed?” “Do any of these approaches really work?” She noted that, according to the National Institute of Health, alternative medicine is defined as these four therapies: holistic medicine, homeopathy, herbal medicine and naturopathy. Elaboration of these therapies can be found at the NIH website: https://nccih.nih.gov/health. The site also has a section on Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health. About 65 retirees attended the program at the College of Dentistry. Afterwards those interested got a student-guided tour of the college that recently has undergone a $61 million renovation and expansion. Prof. Baker said people often turn to alternative medicine for personal control of their health, which essentially means becoming a co-therapist. But she emphasized again and again that you “need to be objectively educated” about the merits, worthlessness or danger of any alternative medicine. She was critical of many products that claim to offer benefit, including “energy” drinks, colon cleansing and cognitive enhancers. In many instances, the products say nothing about side effects or ingredients. She called attention to a number of websites that help to educate the public about alternative medicine. Besides the NIH site listed above, these include:
> A site that reviews supplements “without the hype” and offers a free newsletter: https://supplement-geek.com/
> Two sites similar in that they track quackery and health fraud: http://www.naturowatch.org/ and http://quackwatch.org/
> A site with a modest charge that identifies “the best quality health and nutritional products through independent testing”: https://www.consumerlab.com/
>A site operated by the American Society of Anesthesiologists and requires a membership fee: http://www.asahq.org/

U.I. Professor Downing Thomas will present "Comprehensive Internationalization at UI: What It Means to Students, Scholars and the Community" on Tuesday 16 May at 2 PM at the Coralville Library's E. Jean Schwab Auditorium. Prof. Thomas, Associate Provost and Dean of International Programs, will describe the the rich international environment created throughout the university and its recent national recognition: the U.I. has received the Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization, one of only two American Association of Universities schools to be so recognized. In the midst of uncertainty regarding access to the U.S. from other countries, there is much to celebrate here around student success, creation, discovery and community engagement. Refreshments will be served.

Follup-up review by Nancy Hauserman: Associate Provost and Dean of International Programs Downing Thomas gave a presentation for UIRA members entitled, “Comprehensive Internationalization at the University of Iowa: What It Means for Students, Scholars and the Community.” He began by stating that the University of Iowa had recently received the Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization, given to the campus for its increased commitment to the internationalization of the campus. Dean Thomas reported that the University of Iowa is a top producer of student Fulbright Awards, with 16 awardees in 2017-18, a number commensurate with student Fulbright awards to Duke and UC Berkeley. In addition, in 2016, the University received the Andrew Heiskell Award for our winter interim program in India, a program that focused on home health care and palliative care. Dean Thomas stressed the positive impact of international study abroad on timely graduation. He feels it is important to teach students about the global movement of any and everything, i.e., people, products and disease. He commented that study abroad was less about travel and more focused on the core missions of the University: research, education and community. He said the world needs college-educated people who are knowledgeable about themselves and the world. We need people who can accept unfamiliar cultures and who are open and adaptable and can work together in groups to solve problems. He noted that international experience is now noted in the University of Iowa’s comprehensive plan and, no surprise, the biggest impediment is financial. The University is committed to increasing overseas study by sending more students abroad and to developing a global curriculum, working on curriculum integration and establishing a global campus environment. Finally, Dean Thomas spoke about our alumni abroad and increasing efforts to connect with those people.

UIRA members and guests will gather for the annual potluck/picnic at 5:30 pm at the lodge in the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area at 579 McCollister Blvd., off South Gilbert (Sand Road) south of Iowa City. Reservations are not required, and friends are welcome. The lovely lodge is welcoming in any weather. Bring a dish to share (snack, salad, veggie or dessert) that serves six people. The main course, table service and beverages are provided by UIRA. You are welcome to come early and stay late to visit with friends and enjoy the park, a great place to hang out on an early summer night. In a setting of natural beauty. there's a hard-surface trail around the lake (for walking-off the potluck), plenty of birds and some waterfowl on the lake. Try not to miss it!

On Thursday 22 June from noon until 2:30p, Larry Gullet of the Johnson County Conservation Board will co-sponsor with UIRA a tour of the Cedar River Crossings area (near the Sutliff Bridge north of Solon, IA; park at The Sutliff Bar and Grill). The Cedar River Crossing area is a relatively remote area for Johnson County, a short distance from Iowa City, yet very quiet and a relaxed pace of life. We will be participating in a hay rack tour of the newly-acquired Cedar River Crossing area, immediately downstream from the old Sutliff Bridge, on the west side of the river. We will tour the site of a large wetland restoration which will begin this coming fall and winter. In addition, we will walk through a native (never been plowed), alluvial sand prairie with several rare and uncommon species of plants and animals. If conditions permit, we will tour existing wetlands on public land south of the new acquisition. We will also walk across the old Sutliff Bridge and learn about the history of the site. We will send driving instructions to those who are registered for the event. To learn more about the area, visit the Cedar River Crossing website.

The number of participants is capped at 30. Participants should come prepared for walking about a quarter mile; hiking shoes would be ideal. If a participant does not think s/he can walk a quarter mile, s/he can remain on the hay rack while others take a short walk. Our hosts say a fun experience will be had either way. The tour will begin with lunch together at noon at the Sutliff Bar and Grill’s private dining area. Total cost is $9, which includes tax and gratuity. The menu is set with pulled pork sandwiches and side dishes of coleslaw and potato salad. Beverages will also be available. Money will be collected at lunchtime; no advance payment is necessary.

To register, send an email to Nancy Hauserman and indicate how many are in your party. If you do not use email, please call Nancy at 319-321-9815 to register. Registration deadline is 5 June. In the event that there are more than 30 interested participants, a wait list will be set up. If you need to cancel, please give Nancy 48-nours notice so she can include someone from the waiting list.